Piezoelectric speaker

• US 6,674,219 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Speaker Acquisition SUB
• Original Assignee: Speaker Acquisition SUB
• Inventors: Szilagyi, Andrei, Strugach, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US10/155,580
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 310/322, 310/330, 310/331, 310/334, 310/348, 310/328
• US Class Current: 310/328
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/08 signals being recorded or played back by vibration of a stylus in two orthogonal directions simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/01 Non-planar magnetostrictive, piezoelectric or electrostrictive benders
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops

Abstract

A piezoelectric speaker is disclosed, comprising an elastic base, a piezoelectric material bender, and an acoustical linkage mounted to both the elastic base and the bender and serving to interconnect the elastic base and the bender. The acoustical linkage is fabricated from a rigid material and is mounted to the bender at approximately the geometric center of the bender. The bender may also be encapsulated by a case. The elastic base may include a computer keyboard, a bicycle helmet, a pen, a desk, a computer monitor or any other similar structure.

Claims

1. A speaker comprising:

a structure capable of emitting sound when vibrated, said structure having an existing primary purpose other than to emit sound; and

a piezodriver coupled to said structure at a single point of coupling in a manner causing said piezodriver to be offset from the structure and causing vibrational mechanical energy from said piezodriver to propagate into said structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

2. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

3. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said piezodriver is circular in shape.

4. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said piezodriver is rectangular in shape.

5. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said piezodriver is elliptical in shape.

6. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said structure has interior and exterior surfaces, said piezodriver being coupled to the exterior surface of said structure.

7. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said structure has a top surface and an underside, said piezodriver being secured to the underside of said structure such that the top surface itself acts as a speaker.

8. The speaker of claim 1, further comprising one, two or three more additional ones of said piezodriver coupled to said structure.

9. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

audio frequency is modified through use of a transformer, said transformer having a secondary winding with inductance determined by said piezodriver.

10. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said structure has an internal cavity wherein said piezodriver is housed.

11. The speaker of claim 1, wherein:

said piezodriver has an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure.

12. A speaker comprising:

a structure capable of emitting sound when vibrated, said structure having an internal cavity, and said structure having an existing primary purpose other than to emit sound; and

a piezodriver housed within said internal cavity, said piezodriver having an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure and coupled to said structure at a single point of coupling in a manner causing said piezodriver to be offset from the structure and causing vibrational mechanical energy from said piezodriver to propagate into said structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

13. The speaker of claim 12, wherein:

said piezodriver couples to said structure via an interconnection mechanism of rigid material rigidly interconnecting said structure and said piezodriver.

14. The speaker of claim 13, wherein;

said interconnection mechanism has a first end for coupling to the piezodriver and a second end for coupling to the structure wherein at least one of said first and second ends is flare.

15. The per of claim 12, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

16. The speaker of claim 12, wherein:

said suture has an integrally molded mounting stud rigidly coupled with said piezodriver at said single point of coupling.

17. A speaker comprising:

a structure capable of emitting sound when vibrated, said structure having an existing primary purpose other than to emit sound; and

a piezodriver to vibrate comprising piezoelectric material bonded to a shim, said shim having a portion that extends beyond said piezoelectric material and is rigidly attached to said structure so that the piezoelectric material and shim portion bonded together is offset from said structure, wherein vibrational mechanical energy from said piezodriver propagates into said structure and produces therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself emits sound as the speaker.

18. The speaker of claim 17, wherein:

said structure is a pen.

19. The speaker of claim 17, wherein:

said structure is a pencil.

20. The speaker of claim 17, wherein:

said piezodriver has an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure.

21. A speaker comprising:

a piezodriver including ends to vibrate;

a structure having an existing primary commercial purpose other than to produce sound, said structure having an internal cavity, and said structure having an integrally molded mounting stud rigidly coupled with said piezodriver in a manner which elevates said piezodriver off the structure so that said ends are fine to vibrate causing vibrational mechanical energy from said piezodriver to propagate into said structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

22. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said structure is a keyboard.

23. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said structure is a bicycle helmet.

24. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said structure is a computer monitor.

25. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said piezodriver has an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure.

26. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

27. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

the piezodriver includes a shim, a first piezoelectric material wafer and a second piezoelectric material wafer, said shim defines a first surface and a second surface wherein the first piezoelectric material wafer is bonded to the first surface of the shim and the second piezoelectric material wafer is bonded to the second surface of the shim.

28. The speaker of claim 27, wherein:

the shim contour has variable radii of curvature with no sharp corners.

29. The speaker of claim 21, wherein:

said structure is plastic.

30. A speaker comprising:

a structure having an existing pi commercial purpose other than to produce sound, said structure having sound producing qualities when vibrated;

a piezodriver having an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure; and

an interconnection mechanism of rigid material rigidly interconnecting said structure and said piezodriver, said interconnection mechanism causing vibrational mechanical energy of the piezodriver to be propagated into the structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

31. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism has a circular cross-section.

32. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism has a rectangular cross-section.

33. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism is metal.

34. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism is plastic.

35. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism couples to the structure via a connecting plate.

36. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said interconnection mechanism has a first end for coupling to the piezodriver and a second end for coupling to the structure, wherein at least one of said first and second ends is flared.

37. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

the piezodriver includes a shim, a first piezoelectric material wafer and a second piezoelectric material wafer, said shim defines a first surface and a second surface wherein the first piezoelectric material wafer is bonded to the first surface of the shim and the second piezoelectric material wafer is bonded to the second surface of the shim.

38. The speaker of claim 37, wherein:

the shim contour has variable radii of curvature with no sharp corners.

39. The speaker of claim 38, wherein:

the shim is metal.

40. The speaker of claim 30, further comprising one, two or three more additional ones of said piezodriver coupled to said structure.

41. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said structure has an internal cavity wherein said piezodriver is housed.

42. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

43. The speaker of claim 30, wherein:

audio frequency is modified through use of a former, said transformer having a secondary winding with inductance determined by said piezodriver.

44. A speaker comprising:

a structure having an existing primary commercial purpose other than to produce sound, said structure having an internal cavity, and said structure having sound producing qualities when vibrated;

a piezodriver to vibrate, said piezodriver coupled to said structure and housed within said internal cavity; and

an interconnection mechanism of rigid material rigidly interconnecting said structure and said piezodriver wherein the mechanical impedance of the structure is substantially matched with the piezodriver impedance, said rigid material having at least one end for coupling to the piezodriver and at least one other end for coupling to the structure wherein one or more of said at least one end or said at least one other end is flared, said rigid material causing vibrational mechanical energy of the piezodriver to be propagated into the structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

45. The speaker of claim 44, wherein:

said piezodriver is a unimorph, said unimorph having a shim wherein said shim contour has variable radii of curvature with no sharp corners.

46. The speaker of claim 44, wherein:

said piezodriver is a bimorph.

47. The speaker of claim 46, wherein:

said bimorph has a shim wherein said shim contour has variable radii of curvature with no sharp corners.

48. The speaker of claim 44, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

49. A speaker comprising:

a suture capable of emitting sound when vibrated, said structure having an existing primary purpose other than to emit sound; and

two piezodrivers in a spaced apart relationship, one on top of another, coupled to said structure using an acoustical linkage and in a manner causing said piezodrivers to be offset from the structure and causing vibrational mechanical energy from said piezodrivers to propagate into said structure and produce therefrom audible sound so as to provide a secondary purpose for said structure, said secondary purpose being that the structure itself acts as a speaker.

50. The speaker of claim 49, wherein:

said piezodriver is encapsulated in a case.

51. The speaker of claim 49, wherein:

said structure has interior and exterior surfaces, said piezodriver being coupled to the exterior surface of said structure.

52. The speaker of claim 49, wherein:

audio frequency is modified through use of a transformer, said transformer having a secondary winding with inductance determined by said piezodriver.

53. The speaker of claim 49, wherein:

said she has an internal cavity wherein said piezodriver is housed.

54. The speaker of clam 49, wherein:

said piezodriver has an impedance substantially matched with the mechanical impedance of said structure.